Process and apparatus for making metal ingots.



J. F. MONNOT.

PROOESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING METAL INGOTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15,1908.

"Patented Dec.28, 1909.

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Mun-A6 Q y J. P. MONNOT.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING METAL INGOTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16,1908

Patented Dec.28,1909.

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JOHN F. MONNOT, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MONNOT METALLURGICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING METAL INGOTS Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

Application filed June 15, 1908. Serial No. 438,879.

To all whom it'mqq concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MONNOT, a citizen of the United States, residin at New York, county of New York, and tate of New. York, have invented certain new and useful Processes and A paratusfor Makin Metal Ingots; and I claro the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

My inventionrelates to a process of and apparatus for making metal ingots; and my invention comprises a continuous process whereby molten metalmay be cast into a -mold, caused to solidify'therein as a flawless castin withdrawn from the mold and cut to desired lengths, without stoppin the operation of the apparatus or chec ing the" flow of molten metal into themold; and my invcntion also comprises apparatus for carrying'out the above process.

I n the ordinary methods of makin metal in ots, particularly steel in ots, it Is diflicult'to produce sound and flawless castings because of occlusion and entrainment of air and gases, oxidation, the irregular contraclil0ll-lllltl piping, etc. In a common method of operating a number of-in ot molds are placed on a pouring table, an are connected at the bottom through ducts in said table with a central riser. Steel is poured into this riser and passes therefrom into the ducts and the ingot molds-until all the latter are full; after which the pouring is stopped, the molten metal allowed to solidify, the ingot molds are' emptied and the operation repeated. The operation is an intermittent one, and requires a large numher of in ct molds, also a conside'rableinvestment m pouring tables, etc., and the tables themselves are 'uite bulky. Pouring the ingot molds fronulwelow is resorted to in order avoid, so far as possible, entrainment, of air in the n etal, to permit filling of a number of inolds at one operation, to facilitate rise of impurities tothe top of the metal in each mold, and for various But as is well known, ingots so produced are of poor qualit at or near the center, there'being more or ess extcnsive''p.i 's at the center which necessir tate immedlateand vigorous working of the metal in the attempt to press out these pipes and weld the sides of the pipes together and o hereby dey and securing the -desir to condense the metal; furthermore, the metal at the top of the ingot is always of poor quality, for which reason it is the custom to cut off or crop the upper portion of each in ot the metal so cut off hem remelted. uch waste therefore results. urtheremore, steel as made to-day, particularl Bessemer steel, is apt to contain much oxi presence of which materially impairs the qualityv of the steel, rendering its strength uncertain and making it particularly subjcct to oxidation.

I have discovered that, (as set forth in my f application Sr. No. 391,674, filed Sept. 6, 1907 on which Patent N 0. 929,688 was granted August 3, 1909,) the formation of entrained and occluded gases, oxid and other impurities may be prevented and these im- I purities present may be removed from molten meta in the process of casting, and a very good quality of metal obtained, by casting the molten metal through a deep or substantial layer of molten flux or equlvalent material, such as water glass, glass, neutralized borax, etc.; and to such materials I have applied the term wi ing material and as also set forth in sai application, I have found that by delaying the cooling of the upper portion of the ingot, 'form-. ing at the top of the ingot a pool of molten metal which remains molten after the mainportion ofthe ingot has solidified, iping and the like in the ingot may be su tantially overcome, the molten metal in this upper portion of the ingot serving to compensate for shrinka e, to fill up any pipes,

lowholes and the lifie which may form, and

so to make a very dense and homogeneous metal. Vitreous materials bein conductors of heat, the layer 0 -flux above the top of the ingot serves efliciently in prevery poor serving, the heat of this 001 of molten metal 'delayed cooling.

According to the present invention, I provide a suitable crucible orQ'rece tacle containing a substantial body of mo tenwi ing mater al, and provided with a pouring ole through which itsv contents ma be (118- charged into a mold below. This crucible.

or receptacle I commonly locate in a furnace by which it may be kept hot constantly for long periods of time, soas to kee wiping material molten. Said crucib e or receptacle is provided with a dischar e opening communicating with' an' ingot m0 (1 the i bottpm,-but prov ded, initially, w th a metal is in said crucible, as-shown by the level of the wiping material therein floatin on the molten metal, to form a substantia body thereof .the discharge opening is opened and the molten metal permitted to flow down into the mold. Whenthe level of the flux or wipin material in the crucible begins torise, indicating that the space between the false bottom of the mold and the crucible is full of. molten metal, said false bottom is permitted or. caused to descend slowly, carrying with it the contents .of the mold, the upper full, meanwhile, y molten metal descending from the crucible above, and more molten metal being continuously admit-ted to the crucible to replace that which esca es therefrom and ma ntain the substantia body of such metal. Theingot mold .is of such length, or is provided with such cooling -means, that the metal will be solid by the time the bottom of the ingot mold is reached,

\Vhen a suitable length of molten metal has emerged at thebottom of the mold, suitable cutting means cuts off the protrudin length of metal, and the portion so cut 0 is removed, the metal continuing to descend, and new lengths being cut off from time to time, in the same manner. Each length socut off. is an 0t, and may be taken away and worked. he operation may continue in lmdirS this manner-so long as molten metal is supplied to the crucible. It will be observed that the molten metal admitted to the crucible reaches the discharge 'opening thereof only by passing down .throu h the substantial layer of wiping m'ateria whereby it is freed from entrained and occluded gases, oxidim urities etc.-, the several drops or 0? molten metal being wiped free of gases and impuritiesaud left clean-surfaced and in aconditiontocoalesce to a omobodgspf molten, metal; and it will be rvedthat the upper portion of the mold always contains 'molten metal, w 'ch will fillin spaces left b of cropping ,liq uds do not etc., so that i i is avoide Furthermore, the, metalPn iii s t be of even quality" thro bent, and hence the necessity.

the u r 'portionof each ingot exist. I e" pool of molten metal comparatively quiet (since dense agitate readily any contained oxId, cinder, slag or non-metall c impurity part of the mold being kept not previously removed, rises to its and mixes with the flux body, so that the metal. Undenthe flux cover the metal does not oxidiae, neither can it entrain air with it m flowing mtof the molding device as 0115- with an oxi coating; I r In the accom anying drawings 1 illustrate apparatus or carrying out my process 'as above described, F' are 1 showing. more or less diagrammatica ly, a central vertical section of one form of a paratuspFig. 2 is a similar view on a sum er scale indicating ofl' sections therefrom; Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2 illustrat' alternative means "for cutting off sections. 0 the ingot; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l'illustrating an alternative form of apparatus. I In Fig. 1, 1 designates the said crucible or receptacle for molten wiping material and for molten metal; 2 designates theusual in the bottom of thecrucible, and 4 the customary handle for raising or lowering said stopper. To keep the wipingmaterlal in" the crucible molten 'du periods of rest,

metal, I rov1de suitable means for heating the cruci le, the particular means illustratet being a furnace!) into which the crucible is for surrounding t ecrucible with flame.

designates the 'ingotl mold, the upper portion of which is tapering, as shown, provided with an 'op'emng'8 with the discharge. opening '3 of the crucible; and 9 designates the false bottom for the ingot mold, having a refractory "lining, 10,

11, which may be connected to .anysuita lc mechanism, not shown, for raising and lowerin it; for example, the piston. of a hy- (llmfiid cylinder. Once the ingot mold is 1 full of metal-theweight of the metal will, in

own through the mold, and it may even be then-becomes a movable platform below the mencement of operations it ma be necessary to pullthe metal towardthe fa. se bottomprovided with"'a T-head, 12, which will be embedded in the as the latter surrounds .it and solidifies, will permit the plun er .-11 and the mechanism which 0 rates that plungerito draw thein- 1 0t down until its weightsufiices to -insure When the first 1e hof urther feeding. the ingot has me .be removed with it, the false bottom therethe methodof foi hung the ingot and cutting and V m of the ot mold, for which reason I show the u cut off this T-hea may lower portions of the pool are pure, sound 1 tomarily ha pens with metal filmed over.

stopper for closing the discharge opening, '3, a

. and to avoid possible chilling of the molten 1 set. and which is rovided-with a: burner 6 m said false bottom supported on a pl r,

eneral, insure steady feed of the metal necessary to check the ratefofdescent bf the metal by means of the false bottom, 9, which mouth of theingot mold andagainst which the end of the ingot rests; but at the comwere after serving merely as a support for the end 'of the ingot, f

To "insuresolsidification of the ingot beforeitleaves'the mold, and to avoid :use of a mold of excessive length, said mold is jacket, .16. There may be a :greater' or less number of sections do the mold, as conditions may require. Preferably the mold has a slight taper, to facilitate the feeding-down of the ingot. T

For cutting ofi' the'l in got, any suitable-cut ting means-unitybe employed. I have Indi cated aior the shear blades, '17, 1'1, which inpraetine will usually be worked hydraulic ly, but do'cnot limit myself thereto'. In Fig. 3 have indicated :a hot saw 18- for the same .punpose. To support the weight oft-he upper :portion of the ngot,

still in the mold, while a portion ofithe in? got is bei -out oil, suitable supporting means may e provided, for example, 'phm els-19 with pointed-ends; These :plungers may be actuated hydraulically or otherwise:-

' The molten metal for the ingot may 'be' drawn from any suitable source, for-rename ple, from the usual ladle .20 having a poor ing hole2'1-in its ibottoni adapted to bee by a stopper 522.

The method (if-carrying onlthe process is as follows: The crucible 1 ibeing charged with a suitable quantity of mo'lten wipmg material, and bein kept ginolten :as de scribed, and the la n QOw-being over this crucible the stop er 22 is raised (stopper 2 of cru cible l" beiilg ilown)' and 'molten metal from'ladile 20 is allowed to rnn'into' the crucible wherein it passesthrough the layer of molten wiping material to the bottom, displacing the wiping material and raising it. n'iaterial shows that there is a sufiicient quantity of metal in the crucible, stopper 2 is raised, false bottom '9 being near the' top ofthc mold :7, and the molten metal is rmittedwto run into the mold, the false ttom being gradually lowered as the-rise'of I is checked temporarily, the supporting plunmoved in the same manner.

When thelevel of the wipinggers 19 are advanced until they the ingot above where the cutters :nre t'o" crate, the shear blades or other cutting Vice is caused to o crate, and the section o'f the ingot so cut 0 is carried on for-wank ing, the platform "9 bei .then 'rais'eduinto contact withthe new on of .the ingot, the phmgers 19 retired, and the ingot permitted to descend. in. p

The end :fihe ingot which has 'been out o'fi',-i.f looked to the platform 9 by means of the if-head .12 or otherwise, is readily-freed by driving out keys 28 and sremovi I the platform altogether, a-new platformeing put in its place.

-When :for any reason the metal line all been drawn off from thetrucibl 1 \thesto'pper-2 thereof is closed to retain the wiping material in the crucible, this wiping material being kept 1nolten by the heat of the furnace, :as described.

By the method described a pure, metal tained in :a cheap and practically continuous operation. Pipes, blew-holes, :and the like are rendered impossible, :as all entrained and ingmaterialrto the lower portion ofcrucible' 1, and oxid impurities and -zthe like are re- The metal will be of very dense texture for this reason and also because it is'cast underitlie pressure of the-column-of molten metal and 'ofthe wiping material above it; and all portions of the ingot are, it will be seen, exposed to the same degree of pressure.

The center of the ingot solidifies last, and is supplied with metal by the column of molten metal above it to compensate for shrinkage and prevent piping, so insuring a sound ingot. Each separate =in ot being cut off .fiiom the end of the continuous lngot passing down through the mold, there are no crap ends, and, consequently, the loss of metal Iin the operationand in the subsequent working is reduced to a "Ininimum.

The :process above described is particularly adaptable to the makiing of steel in ots, but :is alsoapplicable to the making 0 ingets of other met-ails, copper and brass for example. 7

It will be understood that any suitable cooling medium maybe passed through the jackets of the ingot mold. Instead of cir-j culating water therethrough, air or other gas maybe passed therethrough or expanded therem.

' In Fig. 4 I illustrate an alternative form of theapparatus, the upper portion of which is substantially the same as of the apparatus shown in 'Fi '1, the ingot mold here numbered '24 being horizontal and having an elbow-connection 25 within crucible 1. The

casting of homogeneous texture may be ob false'bottom 9 becomes in this case, a horizontally movable piston provided with the T-head 12 to draw out the ingot as formed until it can be engaged by feeding rollers 26 by which it can be fed out continuously as produced. Either of the cutting ofi means shown in Figs. 2 and 3 or any other suitablg cutting ofi means may be employed.

The cooling jackets of the sectionsof the' state. I

2. A process of casting-metal ingots which comprises castin molten metal down through material into one a layer of fus w1pir;g portion of a mold to orm a molten body therein at one point and causing the metal to move through such mold and to emerge therefrom in a solidified state at another point, and cutting the metal into lengths successively as it so-emerges.

3. A process of casting metal ingots which comprisescasting molten metal through a layer of wiping material into a mold and causin the metal to move through such mold uring solidification and to emerge therefrom at another point.

4. A process of casting metal ingots which comprises casting molten metal through a layer of wiping material into a mold and causing the metal to move through such mold during solidification and to emerge therefrom at another point, and-cutting the metal into lengths successively as -1t so' emerges.

5. A process of casting metal ingots which comprises casting molten metal down through a layer of fuse wiping material into one portion ofa mold and causin' the-metal to move through such mold during solidifica tion and to emerge therefrom at another point, and coolin thefingot as. it passes throu b said mol v 6. I process of casting meta in comprises casting molten metal down through a layer of fuse wiping material into, one portion of a mold and causing the metal to move through such mold" during solidification and to emerge therefrom at I another point, cooling the ingot as it passes throu h said mold and cutting the metal. into lengt s successively as it so emerges.

7. A process of one point in said mo material in 0 one ,binationwith a plun er mova such moldfrom near t e point of introdu'cgets which casting metal ingots which:

comprises casting molten metalsthrou h a layer of wiping material into a. mol to.

form a permanent pool undersuch layer at A d'and causing themetal' .1

to move through such mold during solidification and to vemerge therefrom at another point and coolin' through said mol 8. A process of casting metal ingots which comprises casting molten metal throu h alayer of wiping material into .a mol to form a permanent 001 under such layer at the ingot as it passes onepoint in'said mo d and causing the metal a to 'move through such moldduring solidifi-- cation and to emerge therefrom at another point, cooling the ingot. as it passes through said mold and cutting the metal intolen s successively as-it so emerges.

9. A process of casting metal ingots which comprises casting molten metal down through a layer of fused wiping material toform a I pool of molten metal-in a suitable mold and causing it to move therethrou h and to emerge therefrom in a solid con ition, and

maintaining the'metal in a fluent condition in one dportion of the mold while the metal is soli lfying and cooling in another portion thereof and socausing such molten and fluent metal to flow and compensate for shrinkage of the solidifying and cooling 7 metal. a

It). A process of casting metal ingots which.

comprises castingmolten metal into a mold through a layer of molten wi ing material to form a pool of molten meta therein, and causing the metal to move therethrough and to emerge therefrom in a solid condition, and

maintaining the metal in a fluent condition in" soli ing and cooling in another portion one dportion of the mold while the metal is thereo and so causing such molten and fluent metal to flow and compensate for shrinkage of the solidifying and cooling metal. I

' 11. Apparatus for metal ingots formgig compris ng a mold ,provid "with-internal means for -cleansing molten metal cast there into and having an open lower end through which a solidified ingot may emegge, in com tion of the moltenmetal. to .and out of the through open end thereof, and adapted to form. a c osure for the mold to prevent esca e of the molten metal until thereof.

12. Apparatus for casting metal ingots which comprises a vertical ingot moldyp'ro-' titled with internal means for cleansing molten metal cast thereinto and hav'- an open lower end, in combination with a alse bottom adapted tomove through such mold from nearthe point of introduction ofthe molten metal to and. out-of the open end of the mold and. adapted to prevent escape of i after molten metal, from the mold until solidification of such metal.

after'the soli ification bination with a plun er movable through such mold from near t e point of introduction of the molten-metal to and out of the open end thereof, and adapted to form a closure for the mold to prevent escape of the molten metal until after solidification there'- of, and cutting means for cutting oil portions of the ingot.

14. -Apparatus for casting metal ingots which comprises a vertical ingot moldprovided with-internal means for cleansing molten' metal cast thereinto and having an open lower end, in combination with a false bottom adapted to move through such moldwith a plunger'inovable through suchmold from near the point of introduction of the molten metal to and out of the open end thereof, and adapted to form a closure for the mold to prevent escape of the molten metal'until aftersolidification-thereof, cutting means for cutting off-portions of the ingot, arid su porting means for supporting the ingot whi e the same is being cut.

'16. Apparatus for casting metal ingots which comprises a vertical ingot mold provided with internal means for cleansing molten metal cast thereinto and having an open lower end, in combination witha false bottom adapted to move through such mold from near the point of introduction 'of the molten metal to and out of the open end of the-mold and adap ed topreventesca'pe of.

o (1 until after so- I va solidified ingot may. emerge, in combination I cutting ofi portions of-tne ingotfan'd sup portingthe ingotwh ile the same is belng 17. Apparatus for forming metal ingots comprising a mold and a receptacle above said mold, and provided with a deep layer of fused wiping "material, said receptacle having means in its lower part for discharging molten metal into said mold.

18. Apparatus for form ng metal ingots comprising a mold and a receptacle provided with a deep layer of fusible wiping material, said receptacle having means in its lower part for discharging molten metalinto the mold and means for heatingsaid receptacle. 19. Apparatus for forming metal ingots comprising a mold and a receptacle provided with a deep layer of fusible wiping material, said receptacle having means in its lower part for discharging molten metal into. the mold and means for closing'such discharging means.-- i

20. In castin metal, the process which comprises pro ucing and m'aintaiiiing. a molten body of inorganic wiping material comprising impurity-removing material and an underlying body" of moltenmetal beneath ,said wipingv material, withdrawing molten metalfrom a point below the surfa'ceof said body of metal and replenishing said body of metal by pouring fresh molten metal through said overlying wiping material.

21. In Tcastin metal, the process which comprises 'pro ucing and maintaining a molten 2 body of inorgarnic wiping matriaI comprising impurity-removing material and an underlying body of molten metal beneath said wiping material, withdrawing molten material. K

metal into mold from apoint beneath the a .f In testimony whereof "I 'affix my signature, I

two witnesses.

in the presence of u JQHN r. MONNOT,

Witnesses: -H. M. :MARBLE,

-FRA NK'E. RAFFMAN. 

